Through a Sheet of Clouds

I am challenging you. Do you accept?

I started blogging not too long ago, but not exactly yesterday, so I know some things, but try to be safe and say….on going learner in practice because I learn so much from all of you. I know some of us may not be close, so my question might be considered personal, but I’m going to ask it away. Do you think SL blogs are on there way out? Do you read them? Or have you navigated over to Flickr and given up your blogosphere?

I have lots of questions as you can see. I like to be a paradox, so bear with me. As a consumer, Flickr is nice. You see. You click. You sometimes fave (or perhaps cringe–NSFW pics do that, especially when not prepared). You even comment. It seems so easy. So, can someone tell me why I should blog too? Most of the amazing blogging community houses their pictures on Flickr, and most of the creators do the same. AND some creators even acknowledge they don’t look at blogs anymore (source plurk). Then, there is this new obstacle to become a blogger for an event or a creator: how many flickr favs can you garnish in 24 hours.

I am not really sure how I feel about it. So, I leave it in your hands. There is no survey. There is no multiple choice quiz. You just have to comment. Show your influence. If I get no comments, then why in the world would I use this space. I get more comments on Flickr. But, if you think blogs have a place still, sound off. Tell me. Show me. Do you buy things you find on blogs? Do you visit stores you find on blogs? Are blogs relevant? As someone who recently undertook managing a brand, I understand the need to be everywhere. It is hard to make a name for yourself, but does it matter if nobody is there? I am knocking folks. Will you answer?

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19 thoughts on “I am challenging you. Do you accept?”

I look at blogs daily, SL and RL based blogs. I like gaining knowledge from blog content, whether it be a blogger’s thoughts or where to get items. Also a blog is good for getting a glimpse at the person behind the blog. Pretty photos are nice too, but for me they do not replace a blog.

I think designers and event planners, in their quest for gaining more exposure, look for the best way to market their products. Once upon a time, it used to be how many feeds your blog was on. Then that turned into whether your blog was on certain feeds that was a bit more exclusive.

Then Facebook seemed to be everything – to get an account, to have an FB page. Last year people talked about how it was “easier” to look on FB because many people have FB either for SL or personal real life accounts. But I think the limiting factor with FB is that they purge purely SL accounts because they are not considered real people.

Flickr was always there, but I think the last couple of years people have paid attention to whether a photo gets 99+ faves. Now since there are so many bloggers and groups on Flickr, right now Flickr appears to be popular in promoting content. And at this moment, the focus is on how many views a photo can get.

Sophee, you mentioned that some creators do not look at blogs anymore. From my impression (also from plurk), people tend to not have the time or the desire to do much (e.g. not leaving their platforms). So a quick glance at a photo plus stats would fit into a busy schedule vs looking at a blog and seeing whether a blogger’s style fits into their brand. This is also why many businesses have blogger managers now, because they don’t have the time. They are busy creating for events and their main stores. So I wouldn’t hold too much weight on that opinion. People have their preferences, so bloggers have to pretty much cover all of their bases when it comes to promotion.

Why do I think Flickr will not replace blogs? There was an incident where a content creator got in trouble with Flickr because her ads promoted sales (which is not allowed). I don’t even think you can have any links that directly bring you to where you can buy items. So sure, we have pictures, but where do you go to purchase items? I know some people don’t use slurls in their blog posts, but that’s a LOT of (faulty) inworld searching to do if no one was allowed to do so.

The sum of the whole is worth more than the individual parts, and that is what Flickr is – a part. Flickr is just one way to promote my blog – my means for self-expression. It doesn’t take much to link photos from Flickr to your blog. And if Flickr decides to crack down on SL photos tomorrow, at least I will still have a “home” to go to.

Can I come hang out with you? You seem to be having fun in that photo ^^

You bring up some great things I totally forgot. I didn’t even think of Flickr’s TOS. Also, I do think many brands have blogger/brand managers that look at promotion since creators are so busy creating, so of course that data would be inadequate. You do not see any large corporation solely relying on one outlet. To promote, these companies do so everywhere. I am an internet surfer too, so I am always out and about looking for ideas and inspiration (rl/sl).

You gave me lots more to think about, and I hope you gave others something to think about as well.

AND you can join me anytime. It was fun setting it up for a photo. I have to say I just went to an engagement party in SL on Sunday that really inspired me. It was decorated with all these bright colors!

I love blogs, especially ones where the person writing has a distinct point of view. It’s nearly impossible to get a lot of traffic, though, so I think the purpose of your blogging has to be more than a perception that you might get a lot of views or comments. I blog because there are things I want to say, and because I want to share with creators when I really like what they do. Anything else is incidental.

I have seen the idea that blogging should be a more individual journey more so than something to attract views. That is nearly impossible today, and those that have commented, I have noticed tend to say MORE on their blogs than the picture with credits. Somewhere in all this I guess I have to decide for myself what I want to do. Do I stay here and say something or do I continue to upload a picture with credits? Right now, I think I just like the option to say something if and when I want to say it. It is ridiculously comforting to know you have that playground available (at least for me).

Indeed I do! Blogs serve as a source of what’s on trend. I love to read other blogs, esp. the credits, to see the brands and/or items used to create that specific look. Blogs are what drives me to a store in-world and keep me excited to spend.

2. Do you visit stores you find on blogs?

Yes, especially stores that are new or unknown to me.

3. Are blogs relevant?

Yes, every blogger brings their creativity to each post. I enjoy reading/seeing how people “address” their individual sense of style and present that to their readers. I see Flickr mainly as a very super stylized photo album. But I view blogs as sources of information. That to me is far more important than just a photo (that may or may not be heavily PS). A blog has the ability to really create a store with pictures and words, a concept that seems less appreciated these days.

I really like your last statement. There is something about a blog that flickr can’t capture. I also feel it is how you use your space. I used to write more on my blog, and maybe my question has more to do with me than blogs/flickr. Do I want to write here? Do I want to say something more than credits and a picture? Do I just like the idea that if and when I want to say something (like yesterday), I have a place to say it. I always felt blogs seemed isolated, but that could have been my wall.

All of you are giving me a better and complete grasp of how I feel, so I hope it does the same for others with similar questions.

I have a blog, simply because I love rambling and I hate to do it on Flickr. Whether people read it or not is immaterial to me, hence me listing credits on Flickr too. If they need SLurls, they’ll have to click through to the post, to circumvent the ‘no advertising’ rule on Flickr. Even then, credits are listed right after the pic, and rambles after.

Strictly speaking, crediting will fall under ‘advertising’ anyway I suppose, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

As a heavy shopper, I don’t tend to read blogs.I usually only read blogs that are technical on SL matters, metaverse travelling blog, or if the writer is funny and entertaining in general. And by funny and entertaining it doesn’t mean “look at this thing I just bought and let me tell you how awesome it is”. I really don’t want to read why someone think this thing is great or this event is the best yet etc–I can find that out myself.

And so, most times I only end up clicking through blog posts if I see something I like on Flickr and I want to find out where it is.

Obviously, this is my own pattern. This is because I spend very little **actual** time on SL and when I do, I want to go out and buy things. I don’t socialise and I don’t like chatting in SL. I log in, decorate, shop when I see things I like, take pics, log out. So I do prefer Flickr over blogposts, but that’s just because I’m an impatient pixel shopper. 😀

I completely identify with the log in, shop, take photos, and log out. Sometimes, I do some inventory sorting, and sometimes you might find me actually socializing, but not much. My SL has changed a lot since I started. As my real life has gotten busier, I have found that I sometimes get frustrated when I have to put the same information in 50 spots. Flickr and done is just kinda nice. Also, I think I fell in love with the picture making over the writing part of my blog, so flickr just seems to fit. I think my favorite line is “whether people read it or not is immaterial to me.” If I decide to write more here, it has to be for me, especially since I don’t feel like I have the technical knowledge or firsthand news that others can bring to the table.

Moni and Deoridhe make some wonderful points! I love blogging because I’m so wordy, that sharing my thoughts, impressions and experiences solely through photographs wouldn’t have the same satisfaction for me. But you’re right, Sophee: looking at a lovely photograph and giving it a favorite or a quick comment is a far less time-intensive endeavor than dedicated blog reading.

I do both, personally – subscribed to well over 100 SL-related blogs, and over 1000 contacts now on Flickr. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so I can’t expect to catch up on everyone’s lovely photographs or thoughtful words within a few hours’ time. But whenever I have a spare moment, exploring the shares through blogs, on Flickr, and via Twitter within the SL community is time I truly enjoy.

My hope is that designers continue to see the value in blogs and bloggers, though it’s understandable that Flickr views have become equally as important. As I wrote in my comment on Monica’s post that linked to yours, when I made the shift from thinking of Flickr as photo storage and saw it as a thriving and vibrant community, I got much more pleasure and enjoyment out of the site. I just wish there were more hours in the day so both blogs and Flickr browsing could be enjoyed in equal measure!

One shift I’d really like to see though: that designers place much less emphasis on a blog’s syndication. Several of the top feed aggregates are no longer open to new applicants; others require that a blog has been active for 3 – 6 months before giving it consideration. Further still, some feeds use practices that may actually hurt a blog’s search ranking by creating duplicate content, which Canary Beck has cautioned against on SL Blogger Support. So a shift away from feeds as sponsorship requirements, and a bigger focus on Flickr engagement, makes much more sense and would be a welcome change!

Oh the feeds. I left blogging for a little while and when I came back, I think I was only on 1 feed, so I had to do the process all over. The nightmare. I had not thought of Canary Beck’s points, but it does make sense if you track your sites ranking. I do like the idea of feeds: go to one place and see content, which can be easier on blog readers, but rules and stipulations by creators surrounding how many feeds and how long seem silly. I just don’t understand why someone can’t click on a blog and just decide if it is a place they want promoting their brand. Promotion is a two way street: you promote me and I promote you. I do, on the other hand, realize that the blogging arena is huge and somewhat over-saturated. It can be hard for creators to find the right fit.

As far as some other points, Flickr was such a surprise. When I started blogging, I had no idea there even was a SL Flickr community, and you are right–it is just as vibrant as many other social outlets. I kept adding people daily because I just loved to see how people captured their world.

Also Ever, I think you brought up a better question: Do the readers out there want more writing than pictures with credits? Looking at your blog, you have quite the following for someone new to the blogging world, but you address something I think all slers can relate to–keeping sl an adventure, keeping it a place of wonder and fascination!

I read SL blogs all the time. In fact, the writing is more important to me than the pictures. I love the artistry I can find in photos on Flickr, but I like learning about the blogger as well. I do agree with Ever about the feeds – I follow several, and it’s really repetitive, because so many bloggers are on multiple feeds – it kind of defeats the purpose, imho. I don’t, however, like the requirement for so many ‘views’ or likes on Flickr, because it just encourages people to ‘game’ the system by reposting their photos to get more views. There have been several days now where the same photos keep coming up as new on my Flickr – annoying.
I blog because I like to write and I like to take photos – if people read and/or look, great! In the meantime, I’ll keep doing what I do. 🙂

I soooo agree with your comment about reposting pictures. This isn’t an SL problem…this is actually something quite known in the flickr community and one that has always been debated. Generally speaking, it seems some post a picture once when taken, and then repost when they add a blog link. The only time I get frustrated is if I see the same picture 3 times in one day. Then, I just want to unfollow, but I know everyone has a different limit.

Blogs still count but I agree it’s way harder to get people to click and head on over to a blog when they can just as easily browse around Flickr. If not for you plurking this link I wouldn’t have been intrigued to read but I’m glad I did.

Hi Sophee,
I accept the challenge. As for me, I love Flickr for drive by’s and to show my support for the creative artists in SL. I also love the blogs for more info. Why that look? What location? Meaning of the quote. Creative people have wonderful journals as a part of their blog. If I want NSFW I’ll go to my Tumblr……truly understanding the creative process is why I like to read the blogs after seeing the pics on Flickr. That being said, I really don’t care for those blogs that are all personal and/or self-promoting to make Lindens. Oh, btw, that is one of your best posts and I have found myself wondering about placement on my avi too. LOL. Keep up the wonderful work. I hope it is a relaxing outlet for you.